Monkey Park with over 200 Barbary Macaques roaming around. Climbing play area for kids 5 years + and playground for younger ones. Great to combine with other activities in Alsace (France). 2 hrs from Zurich.
Final verdict: Recommended - when visiting Alsace (4/5)
The it factor: 4/5
Monkey Mountain in Alsace (Montagne des Singes) offers a unique experience to walk around the park with monkeys roaming around freely. I would recommend a half a day visit - combined with a bike trip and a visit to a nearby beautiful Alsatian villages (e.g. Colmar) or park Cigoland.
The fun factor: 4/5
Often in wildnis-parks it is difficult to spot animals as they are hiding away. Here it is very much the opposite. As soon as you enter the park, you see them everywhere - playing, sleeping, eating, interacting with each other. There are also specific times when you can see them being fed. Just being around monkeys freely running around the park is fun.
You can even see a tiny baby monkeys being looked after by their parents. Cuteness overload!
Unfortunately you are not allowed to touch the monkeys. This makes perfect sense as you don't want kids to terrorize the poor creatures. We wished, however, that there was a way to interact with the monkeys a little bit more.
Once you get your fill of monkeys, kids from 5 years old (or 115 cm tall) and adults can pretend to be one. Our daughter was still too young so I happily went to check it out. It was really fun to climb between the forest trees, whilst balancing on ropes and nets. It is a great introduction to rope parks as it doesn't require a high fitness level and with the net surrounding you from all sides, it also feels safe.
There is a smaller playground and activity stations (e.g. mini zip line, balancing bridge) for younger children - nothing special but does the job.
The unique factor: 5/5
We found it a very special experience to be walking among so many monkeys. You feel much closer to the animals than in a zoo and you see them better than in a wildnis-park. If you are not planning a visit to Alsace but would love to hang out with monkeys, there is also another monkey park near Konstance - which we have not checked out yet (but for sure will in the future).
The food factor: 3/5
The food is as expected - sandwiches, wraps, hot-dogs, sausages and chips and ice creams. They do have some salads though.
It has a fast food feel, but it is set nicely in the nature and next to the playground - always a bonus when you want to have a drink whilst watching your kids play.
The value factor: 5/5
We found the park reasonably priced - in 2023 adults pay 11, children pay 8 and kids below 5 enter for free.
Monkey Mountain (Alsace) Impressions video
Practical info
2 hrs from Zurich - best to combine with a stay in Alsace region and a visit to park Cigoland
Address: Wick, 67600 Kintzheim, France
More info here